No doubt trying to draw attention away from what is becoming an increasingly dangerous, hostile and virulently anti-gay culture in Russia, Vladimir Putin spoke out yesterday warning that Russians must not "'create a torrent of hatred towards anyone,' including homosexuals," Al Jazeera reports:

At a meeting with leaders of junior political parties on Wednesday, Putin defended the law, saying that it was meant to protect young people – but he added that hatred toward gays was unacceptable.

"You know how much criticism I had to listen to, but all we did on the government and legislative level (was) to do with limiting (gay) propaganda among minors," Putin said. "In the meantime we should not create a torrent of hatred towards anyone in society, including people of non-traditional sexual orientation."

Putin's remarks come just months before the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi that have drawn widespread international concern following Russia's passage of the now infamous anti-gay propaganda law in June. Putin has previously insisted there is "no infringement on the rights" of gays in Russia and that gays are welcome at Sochi, declaring, "We are doing everything, both the organizers and our athletes and fans, so that participants and guests feel comfortable in Sochi, regardless of nationality, race or sexual orientation." However, at least one person, Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who in August said that Sochi athletes would be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws, has publicly admitted the political folly inherent in passing such an incendiary and discriminatory law in the lead-up to a major international sporting event that, in theory at least, holds discrimination of any kind to be fundamentally incompatible with its own credo:

"One could have calculated the impact it would cause in the West, especially ahead of the Sochi Olympics," Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was quoted as saying by rbc.ru website. "The leadership could possibly have put ... (it) on hold."

Comments

Translation: the protests and boycotts are working. Congratulations to all those who have been bringing the heat.

Posted by: RWG | Nov 21, 2013 7:09:57 PM

Do as I say, not as I do?

Posted by: Randy | Nov 21, 2013 7:10:06 PM

Why are openly gay people fired from jobs there then ?

Posted by: mam | Nov 21, 2013 7:21:25 PM

You ain't heard nuttin yet, , you spiteful malevolent toad.

Let us increase the pressure to have this law repealed......and the fascist thugs who attack gays arrested.

Posted by: JackFknTwist | Nov 21, 2013 7:28:00 PM

One of the architects of these anti-gay laws was a woman.
Women fear male homosexuality because it represents
a rejection of women.

The church is an embodiment of female values, hence the homophobia.

Posted by: ASam | Nov 21, 2013 7:29:01 PM

@ JackFknTwist,
Often I'll read a comment that puts a big smile on my face and then see it belongs to you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. They make me feel better after reading things that upset me. :-)

Posted by: Machine | Nov 21, 2013 7:43:09 PM

The Russian state is a broken, corrupted system comprised of rusted-out infrastructures, a peculiarly ignorant citizenry with regard to liberty, a uniquely delinquent population with regard to drug and alcohol addiction, widespread child abuse, subpar medical services, stunted national science research, fundamentalist christian influence that has monopolized against free thought, a brutal military and police force, ubiquitous political corruption, multiple massive pollution zones and a subversive media which cuts severe roles for men and women while demonizing diversity.
At least America understands its past clearly enough to *rationalize* its future. In America there is a clarity to its progression and position, even with the problems it has.
In Russia, everything is masked by coal smoke and the streets are paved with broken vodka bottles.
In short, there is no direction. The only things that get through the smog are glib political propaganda, brutal shouts of violence, shrill denunciations and the guttural hymns of stifling religion, which actually thrives in chaos.

Posted by: mam | Nov 21, 2013 7:43:30 PM

Do you guys notice I make the exact same anti-woman points as Rick does? That's not a coincidence. We are the same troll.

Posted by: Asam | Nov 21, 2013 7:46:41 PM

@ MACHINE :
That's a nice thing to say, thanks.

Putin is such a manipulative self promoting fascist that he makes my much too volatile blood boil over !!!!

Posted by: JackFknTwist | Nov 21, 2013 7:58:50 PM

The Nazis also promised to put their racial laws on hold during the 1936 Olympics.

Posted by: Steve | Nov 21, 2013 7:59:31 PM

What is he talking about? And to whom? He's the one that created the toxic atmosphere in the first place.

Posted by: SFRowGuy | Nov 21, 2013 8:14:32 PM

Once a liar, always a liar.

You don't want to stop gay propaganda towards children, you want to stop anything gay at all towards ANYONE. You want it silenced, you want it to disappear, you want anything gay to simply not exist.

Well, tough. We exist. We're not going to disappear and we're not going to stay silent, ever again.

Deal with it, assh*le.

Posted by: johnny | Nov 21, 2013 9:08:59 PM

Talk is cheap. Put your money where your mouth is, whorebag.

Posted by: FFS | Nov 22, 2013 2:13:58 AM

"So no matter how criminal and despicable we REALLY treat gays, for the duration of the Sochi Olympics we Russians must be Putin on a good face to the outside world?"

"Da! Comrade not EVEN public beatings . . . "

Posted by: Mike | Nov 22, 2013 3:38:37 AM

This must be his other personality talking.

Posted by: Jack M | Nov 22, 2013 7:36:52 AM

How about one of the members of Russian Parliament suggesting making "gay propaganda" into a criminally punishable offense? The man's name is Alexandr Remezkov. One of his sons is at Hofstra.

Posted by: Victor | Nov 22, 2013 8:10:12 AM

The "gay propaganda" ban is essentially DADT for an entire country, Russia, as opposed to just the U.S. military. We see how well that worked out.